Immediate Effects of Overnight Long-Haul Travel on Physical and Cognitive Performance and Sleep in Professional Male Rugby Union Players (a 2-Part Study).

Background: Travel can disrupt sleep and reduce perceived recovery in athletes. While the impact of travel on physical performance has been studied, its effect on cognitive performance remains unexplored.

Purpose: This study investigated the consequences of overnight long-haul travel on physical (part I) and cognitive performance (part II) in professional rugby players traveling overseas for competition.

Methods: In part I (n = 24), vertical-jump performance was assessed across 5 mornings surrounding travel (HOME, TRAVEL, and AWAY 1, 2, and 3). In part II (n = 24), mental fatigue and psychomotor vigilance (defined as the ability to respond to stimuli effectively) were assessed across 3 days (HOME, TRAVEL, and AWAY 1). Sleep was monitored on all nights preceding performance assessment using activity monitoring.

Results: Compared with HOME, TRAVEL reduced sleep quantity (part I. -219 [112] min; part II, -334 [233] min; both P < .001) and elevated in-flight mental fatigue (part II, +12 [18]; P < .05). Psychomotor vigilance was impaired during TRAVEL (+8% [6%] in valid response latencies ≤500 milliseconds; P < .001), and reactive jump strength was reduced at AWAY 1 (-7% [10%] in drop jump; P < .001). While psychomotor vigilance was restored by AWAY 1 (after hotel sleep), reactive jump strength remained diminished until AWAY 3 (-12% [9%] in drop jump compared with HOME; P < .001) after travel.

Conclusion: For teams traveling on long-haul journeys overnight for competition, it is recommended to arrive more than 3 days before matches to enable sufficient physical and cognitive recovery at the new destination to optimize performance away from home.